Monday, January 30, 2012

Concerned Citizens of Chatham on the recent GCA meeting

The main topic of discussion was the ward remap. Worlee already posted his thoughts on the meeting, soon I will post my own. Here is just a brief flavor:
The main issue of the day and why most individuals came out was to hear what happened to the 6th ward as a result of the remap process. Alderman Sawyer stated that he initially supported the black caucus to keep as many African American ward in the City of Chicago. He also stated he did not want to lose any of his ward but understood that he would probably have to do so. After a series of meetings and public hearings a compromise was made. The 6th ward would end at 87th street and the entire communities of Chesterfield, West Chesterfield and Roseland Heights would go to the 9th ward under Alderman Anthony Beale ad Michelle Harris. After this agreement was made, Alderman Harris stated she changed the map because she did not want Richard Wooten, a former candidate for 6th ward Alderman and current candidate for 6th ward committeeman and 34th district state representative, in her ward. Alderman Sawyer stated that Alderman Beale stood by and supported Alderman Harris rogue move. Alderman Sawyer stated that even senior members of the city council could not understand the audacity of Alderman Harris and Beale. Alderman Sawyer had some heated words with Harris and Beale while the leader of the Black Caucus Alderman Howard Brookins stood by and did nothing but remap a small portion of Chatham into the 21st ward. His feeble attempt was designed to get his taxpayer supported bridge built. This bridge would alleviate the traffic congestion that will occur when Fellowship Missionary Baptist church builds their new church at 85th Vincennes along with the new Walmart.

During the questioning Alderman Sawyer was grilled as to why did he think that his previous relationships with members of the black caucus would mean anything. He was also grilled as to what some characterized as a nonchalant attitude and not showing he was mad as hell. Others chastised him for not being more vocal at the public hearings.

Then there were the Rodney King comments"can't we all just get along". The answer was NO by some who felt this was all concocted by Alderman Howard Brookins as payback for not backing his Walmart project. But, there were several surprising comments with one coming from Richard Wooten who chastised Alderman Sawyer and the other African American alderman for not communicating with constituents and not being more vocal on the remap process. Then Mr. Wooten stated that Alderman Harris and Beale changed the maps to avoid him. He stated a representative from one of their offices contacted him and stated they felt Alderman Sawyer was running from a battle with Mr. Wooten in 2015 by allowing West Chesterfield to be remapped in the 8th or 9th ward. Mr. Wooten characterized it as cowardliness by Alderman Beale/Harris for gerrymandering to avoid a fight and was disrespectful towards the residents of the City of Chicago. Lastly, former 21st Ward Alderman Niles Sherman, now a 6th ward resident, chastised the community for not being more vocal. He stated that this was in the works for years to dismantle strong African American wards. He clearly stated that if the audience was not up to a dog fight then it was no reason to continue to discuss the remap issue. He made it plain that the community needed to vote in the March primary and bring their A game because they were going to play with the big boys in a remap challenge. He also commented on Alderman Howard Brookins Jr leadership of the Black Caucus. " A leader is born not made".
My own flavor though it will come in a separate posts. Other than Sawyer's comments that I recorded on video some in the crowd tore into both Brookins and Beale. And I describe Mr. Wooten's comments as another political speech, a better script couldn't have been written.

Was anyone else there Saturday morning? Do you have your own thoughts to share on the meeting or the ward remap? Please share!


  1. IRATE IN THE 6TH WARD!February 1, 2012 at 1:12 PM

    This was a very good posting on what happened at the GCA meeting.

    But one thing needs to be clear: Alderman Beale didn't want Richard Wooten in his ward because he felt Wooten could beat him in the next , upcoming Alderman election. So Beale looking out for Sawyer is a LIE!

    Wooten lives in Chesterfield. Chesterfield, West Chesterfield and Roseland Heights, currently 6th Ward communities, vote more than all of Beale's current ward that he has now. He knows if that when they join his ward ––if there is no legal fight––these former 6th Ward residents could vote for Wooten, a native son.

    If there was ever a time for 6th Ward residents to press their friends and family members who live in Michelle Harris' ward ( 8th Ward), Beale's ward (9th Ward ) Howard Brookins' ward (21st Ward) to not VOTE FOR THEM AS COMMITTEEMAN, now is the time.

    And it will hurt them! If your friends and neighbors who live in their wards don't vote for them as committeeman they will lose some money. Committeeman make money off of the businesses in their ward.

    So just Google up their Alderman sites and see what neighborhoods they represent–-odds are you have friends or family members who live there.

    And quiet as kept, it seems Alderman Carrie Austin (34th Ward) played a role as a double agent on stabbing either the naive, higher office aspirational, or incompetent Sawyer in the back too! Who knows, it COULD BE ALL OF THE ABOVE! Cause it just doesn't make a sense why he didn't lead his residents in the very beginning like Sitting Bull led his braves against Custer! And we all know what happened to Custer!

    These 4 Alderman are ONLY OUT FOR THEMSELVES and have little concern about their residents...let alone 6th Ward residents. Our communities have always, historically, been the best and stable, Black, middle class communities in Chicago. It was rampant RAPE of the Black middle-class!

    Rahm Emanuel, STOP LISTENING to Garth, publisher of the Citizen rag: Chatham and other 6th Ward Communities WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR YOU if we found out you helped that hyena Brookins and the rest of those scavengers.

    YOU, MR. MAYOR, better come out into our communities and TALK DIRECTLY TO US and learn what we want!

    In the past, we may have been fools to follow the line and vote for Daley
    without getting our due. BUT NO MORE! If you think the white middle-class is mad for losing ground, THE BLACK MIDDLE-CLASS IS OVER THE TOP IRATE!

  2. I attended the GCA meeting last Saturday and after hearing Alderman Sawyer's description of his participation in the ward remap I was so angry I decided to wait a few days before I formed an opinion.
    He spoke of locking a map once the redrawn areas were ok'd by all the aldermen present. Bur Michelle Harris, his friend for twenty-five years, unlocked the map and moved the boundaries without Sawyer present. So, how important is the lock/unlock process if no one respects it? I don't feel he fought for 6th ward residents. I feel he rolled over and may be out of his depth. Let face it, they are politicians. Once they get where they are going the' tail wagging the dog' takes over. They forget they were elected not to push their own agendas but to REPRESENT US. Finally, I know I need to pay closer attention and do my homework.



